I was doing the usual look for new sauces in the supermarket today when I saw this sitting there, and figured that I would take the plunge and step up to a habanero sauce, a first for me (excluding Megadeath, as that has its own chernobyl style rating system).
To be honest, I had a lot of preconceived notions about what this sauce would be, and a lot of them were wrong. I assumed it was going to be a fruity blend, perhaps a chutney-like flavour, based on the bottle and ingredients before me. Nope, I hit a vinegar artery. The ingredients give it away as being the major ingredient of the product, understandable when you consider the constraints of bottling food, and the need to stop human-destroying-nasties from developing, but this was a little much. Perhaps my fault for not looking at the ingredients first, but if I wanted a vinegar based sauce, I would go for Tabasco, or it local big brother, Firehorse.
The second thing I noticed was that the heat level, although definitely present, was not in the high levels I would expect. My tongue got a nice tingle, my lips were made vaguely aware of the intruder in their midst, but nothing to write home about. It is only when taking far too large a portion than what would be considered safe does my throat get that nice kick I was looking for initially, which is a shame. This sauce could either be a great confidence booster, for those who want to say they chew on habs for breakfast but yet get scared by superhots, or it could be a huge let down for someone looking to play a joke on a less fortunate compatriot. Personally, I can live with the heat level, but I dont think it lives up to the "Very Hot" label on the jar.
As for the rest of the flavour, I thought it was decent. I got a lot of spice initially, I think I could taste nutmeg, and I got the sugar as well, but it was nice that it wasnt sickly sweet, just good and mellow. There was a fruity taste to it, nothing I could nail down, but just as you started to think it was nice, the vinegar kicks you in the tongue. This much vinegar left me with a heavy taste in my stomach and a sweaty forehead, although that may be from the habs, but I doubt it. Unfortunately.
Overall, I would say its not a bad sauce, but its definitely not what I though I was buying. I am trying to think of when I would use it, and so far burritos, tacos, etc come to mind, possibly a burger but more likely the fries that come with it, I think it would destroy any fish within a 3 mile radius, maybe I could see it working with chicken. I will try some combinations over the next little while and see what I come up with, hopefully I'll surprise myself.
Summary-
Presentation-7/10 Nice clean bottle, looks like a small set-up, quite appealing
Heat-6/10 Not as spicy as I assumed, but not a bad heat overall, doesnt hang around for long at all though. An expensive high?
Flavour-5/10 Has some good points, but just too much vinegar for me
To be honest, I had a lot of preconceived notions about what this sauce would be, and a lot of them were wrong. I assumed it was going to be a fruity blend, perhaps a chutney-like flavour, based on the bottle and ingredients before me. Nope, I hit a vinegar artery. The ingredients give it away as being the major ingredient of the product, understandable when you consider the constraints of bottling food, and the need to stop human-destroying-nasties from developing, but this was a little much. Perhaps my fault for not looking at the ingredients first, but if I wanted a vinegar based sauce, I would go for Tabasco, or it local big brother, Firehorse.
The second thing I noticed was that the heat level, although definitely present, was not in the high levels I would expect. My tongue got a nice tingle, my lips were made vaguely aware of the intruder in their midst, but nothing to write home about. It is only when taking far too large a portion than what would be considered safe does my throat get that nice kick I was looking for initially, which is a shame. This sauce could either be a great confidence booster, for those who want to say they chew on habs for breakfast but yet get scared by superhots, or it could be a huge let down for someone looking to play a joke on a less fortunate compatriot. Personally, I can live with the heat level, but I dont think it lives up to the "Very Hot" label on the jar.
As for the rest of the flavour, I thought it was decent. I got a lot of spice initially, I think I could taste nutmeg, and I got the sugar as well, but it was nice that it wasnt sickly sweet, just good and mellow. There was a fruity taste to it, nothing I could nail down, but just as you started to think it was nice, the vinegar kicks you in the tongue. This much vinegar left me with a heavy taste in my stomach and a sweaty forehead, although that may be from the habs, but I doubt it. Unfortunately.
Overall, I would say its not a bad sauce, but its definitely not what I though I was buying. I am trying to think of when I would use it, and so far burritos, tacos, etc come to mind, possibly a burger but more likely the fries that come with it, I think it would destroy any fish within a 3 mile radius, maybe I could see it working with chicken. I will try some combinations over the next little while and see what I come up with, hopefully I'll surprise myself.
Summary-
Presentation-7/10 Nice clean bottle, looks like a small set-up, quite appealing
Heat-6/10 Not as spicy as I assumed, but not a bad heat overall, doesnt hang around for long at all though. An expensive high?
Flavour-5/10 Has some good points, but just too much vinegar for me
